Although interferon is on its way out as a standard of care for hepatitis C, researchers are learning more about its role in HIV, conference vice chair Julie Overbaugh said at a media briefing on the opening day of the 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2014) this week in Boston.

Both HIV infection and depression are independent risk factors for incident heart failure, and living with both HIV and depression multiplies the risk, according to an analysis of data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study presented at the 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2014) this week in Boston.

The 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2014) will take place next week, March 3-6, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. HIVandHepatitis.com will be on site all week to bring you the latest news coverage about HIV, hepatitis C, and related topics.

Tesamorelin, a synthetic form of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), which the FDA has approved to reduce excess visceral abdominal fat in people living with HIV, also reduced associated liver fat in an HIV positive cohort chosen for abdominal adiposity, according to the results from a randomized, placebo-controlled trial presented at the 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2014) this week in Boston.

Nearly half of adolescents with lifelong HIV infection were found to have evidence of coronary artery atherosclerosis, putting them at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in the December 23, 2013, advance edition of Circulation.

The 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2014) kicked off in Boston this week with a program for young investigators, a press conference on new hepatitis C treatments, and opening lectures on HIV immune response and cross-species transmission and an update on the epidemic in West Africa.

HIVandHepatitis.com will be on site all week bringing you the latest news.

People with HIV continue to experience higher rates of both AIDS-defining and non-AIDS cancers in the era of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), according to a report in the February 20, 2014, issue of AIDS. Increased longevity alone does not explain the rise in non-AIDS cancer rates, and further research is needed on the causes and best treatments for cancer in this population, the study authors concluded.